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The Top Headlines From AVweb's Expanded,
Illustrated News Coverage At AVweb's
NewsWire.

BLINDSIDED
BY HOMELAND SECURITY
That kinder, gentler FAA we've
been telling you about is taking steps to keep you out of TFR
trouble. Communications Director Greg Martin told AVweb the agency will
soon (loose definitions suggested) launch a new Web-based information
system designed to give pilots up-to-date, accurate information on
airspace restrictions, including those following the president. "We are
committed to getting information out better," said Martin. He said the
looming presidential election campaign will make timely TFR information
even more critical and the agency is responding, in part, as a
reflection of its new attitude toward "customer" service. Martin said
they're still working on the system and no date has been set for its
launch but he promised it would deliver the information pilots need,
including graphical depictions, at the click of a mouse.
More...

...AS
SECURITY INCIDENTS ABOUND...
With any luck, the new system and the heightened awareness of TFRs
during the campaign will help prevent incidents like the one near
Milwaukee on Friday now counted among some 1,500 such incidents since
Sept. 11, 2001. The Associated Press reported last week that military
pilots now train up to four times a week to shoot down hijacked
airliners. Fortunately, the pilot of a Cessna 210-5 that blundered
unannounced into the three-hours-long, 30-nautical-mile TFR that veiled
Milwaukee won the booby prize -- a practice session formation flying
with a couple of F-16s. He was forced to land at Crites Field, near
Waukesha, after reaching within 20 nautical miles of the TFR's
bull's-eye. The plane was registered to Tony Vendramin, of Hobart, Ind.,
and his son Tony Jr. said his father was undoubtedly mortified by the
trouble caused. "He voted for Bush." More...

...AND
LOBBYING CONTINUES
The litany of blunders by pilots in restricted airspace isn't making the
job of alphabet-group lobbyists any easier as they try to lessen the
impact of security-related restrictions on our behalf. They do, however,
keep soldiering on in a quest to restore some sense of pre-9/11
normalcy. EAA announced it will be going to the "highest levels" of the
Department of Homeland Security to press for abolition of the air
defense identification zone that blankets Washington, D.C. EAA
acknowledges it's an uphill battle against Secret Service and defense
officials who have apparently grown quite fond of the airspace cushion
around the Capitol and are unlikely to give it up without a fight.
More...

THE
SEARCH FOR A MISSING 727
Over the last few months AVweb has
reported on the strange disappearance of an African-based Boeing
727, reportedly modified to serve as an air tanker. While some subsequent
reports speculated the jet had been found sporting a new paint job
in Guinea, the actual location of the aircraft has never been
determined. Joseph Padilla, the younger brother of the man assigned to
arrange flight of the aircraft out of Angola, contacted AVweb to help
clear his brothers name and hopefully gather clues to find him
alive. More...

MANY
THEORIES, FEW CLUES
Joseph Padilla, the missing pilots brother, told AVweb the trail
of clues has gone somewhat cold. However, Padilla told AVweb the FBI
investigated and interviewed a pilot who claimed to have overheard a
conversation by an aircraft mechanic that detailed the location of the
jet. The mechanic in Beirut, according to Padilla, said the aircraft was
located inside a hangar and would be used for an aerial attack against
the Israeli government. The federal government is still investigating.
Padilla says the government hasnt told him much but his U.S. State
Department contact assured him his brother was not viewed as a person
who would intentionally steal the aircraft. More...

LOOKING
FOR ANSWERS
Joseph Padilla hopes to find some additional clues to piece this
disturbing mystery together. While his hopes are high, he understands
the gravity of the situation. Right before the jet departed, his brother
was seen boarding the aircraft with a Congolese mechanic. As the
aircraft taxied to the runway, several witnesses reported seeing the jet
performing "crazy ground maneuvers" as it approached the runway. Padilla
fears his brother was fighting for control of the aircraft and possibly
for his life as well. Mr. Padilla requests that anyone with information
that could help solve this mystery contact him via e-mail at padilla1956@cox.net or via phone
at 850-944-9688. More...

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DIAMOND
GOES GLASS WITH GARMINDiamond's
DA40 is the platform for the first certified installation of
Garmin's new integrated glass panel. The G1000 is said to
incorporate more features and offer better situational awareness to
pilots by getting rid of all the conventional panel-mounted instruments
and rolling their functions into two 10-inch sunlight-readable displays.
In addition to all the information you'd expect on the primary flight
display and multifunction display screens, the DA40 installation
includes digital audio, a WAAS-capable IFR GPS, VHF navigation with ILS
and VHF communication through 16-watt transceivers and 8.33-kHz-channel
spacing. The electronics bundle also has Mode S, solid-state attitude
and heading, a digital air data computer and optional weather and
terrain data. It's all hooked up to a Bendix/King KAP two-axis
autopilot. All those goodies will add $25,000 to the cost of a
dial-and-gauge IFR-equipped DA40. More...

YEAGER
CAUGHT BY CROSSWIND
Even a legend can be brought down to earth by a crosswind. Just ask
Chuck Yeager. The pilot synonymous with edge-of-the-envelope flying met
his match while taxiing after landing at Heaven's Landing,
an airport development near Clayton, Ga. The 80-year-old retired Air
Force general apparently bumped his head when the aircraft went off the
runway and into a ditch. His wife was also not seriously injured.
Physical injuries notwithstanding, the crowd of onlookers awaiting
Yeager's arrival could feel his pain. More...

NEW
JERSEY SEEKS RUNWAY EXTENSION BAN?
A couple of New Jersey assemblymen believe they can reduce noise at
airports by limiting runway length. AOPA claims that legislation
proposed by Democrats Herb Conaway and Jack Conners will stifle airport
development and compromise safety without necessarily cutting noise. If
passed, their bill would prohibit an airport from widening or
lengthening a runway that is within 3,500 feet of a school, 1,000 feet
of a house or if there are more than 7,000 homes within two miles of the
runway. In a letter to the legislators, AOPA Vice President Andy Cebula
says banning runway improvements won't necessarily cut noise.
More...

AWARD
HONORS LONG CAREERS
Mary S. Feik and Ann Wood-Kelly are this year's recipients of the
National Aeronautic Association's Marjorie Stinson Award for
Achievement. The award is handed out annually to women who have made an
"enduring contribution, a meritorious flight, or a singular technical
development" in aviation-related endeavors. Bud Orr, chairman of the
Stinson Award selection committee, said both recipients fill the bill
admirably. "These ladies helped blaze the trail for others to follow,"
he said. Long before the term "non-traditional occupation" was coined,
Feik and Wood-Kelly were hard at work in the man's world of aviation.
More...

TAKE "SEARCH" OUT
OF "SEARCH & RESCUE" WITH A 406 MHz PLB FROM AEROMEDIX A 406 MHz
Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) should be an essential part of your safety
gear. PLBs greatly reduce the time it takes rescuers to reach an
individual in distress, and provides the very best chance of being
rescued in an emergency. A GPS-enabled PLB transmits precise coordinates
to within 100 meters, and reduces SAR notification time to as little as
five minutes! Aeromedix.com has great deals for AVflash readers on PLBs,
including the ACR GyPSI unit with GPS interface ($599) and the
Pains-Wessex Fastfind Plus with built-in GPS ($895). Call 1-888-362-7123
and mention this AVflash, or go online at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/aeromedi

EMBRY-RIDDLE
AIR SHOW FUNDS TURNED DOWN
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University could be left holding the bag for
expenses resulting from the air show it sponsors in Florida in November.
The university had hoped Volusia County would chip in a total of
$101,000 worth of beach patrol, law enforcement and cleanup services
needed to stage Wings and
Waves but came away with only $14,000 that is expected to be raised
from the county's beach toll during the event Nov. 8 and 9. More than
200,000 people attended last year's show and the county contributed the
beach fees plus $30,500. The Thunderbirds and various aerobatic
performers have been scheduled to perform. More...

KITPLANES
JOINS AVWEB UNDER BELVOIR
Belvoir Publications, Inc., announced this weekend the acquisition of
KITPLANES Magazine from PRIMEDIA. Continuously published for over twenty
years, KITPLANES is the leading independent provider of information for
the homebuilt community, and joins other Belvoir aviation periodicals
Aviation Consumer, Aviation Safety, IFR, Light Plane Maintenance, IFR
Refresher, and Used Aircraft Guide. Belvoir also publishes AVflash and
AVweb, the industry's leading general aviation electronic news service.
"KITPLANES brings important synergies to Belvoir's aviation publishing
operations," according to Timothy Cole, Belvoir's executive vice
president and AVweb publisher. "The magazine is a terrific fit, allowing
us to leverage our long-standing position in aviation to offer greater
value for both KITPLANES readers and advertisers." More...

REGISTER NOW FOR THE
2004 GREAT LAKES INTERNATIONAL AVIATION CONFERENCE Phil Boyer
and Lane Wallace are among the many prominent speakers slated to address
the Great Lakes International Aviation Conference, February 6 to 8 in
Lansing, Michigan. In addition, there will be over 150 breakout sessions
for pilots, mechanics, FBOs and aviation enthusiasts. IA renewal and FAA
Wings program are available for those who qualify. The exhibit area will
be filled with the latest products and technologies. For more
information call 248 348-6942 and mention this AVflash, or visit http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/gliac

ON
THE FLY...
Ann Devers has taken over as director of advertising sales for
AVweb...Airworthiness Directives are coming on Cessna 400-series
aircraft...A promising race-car driver died in a plane crash in
California...The Copperstate
Regional EAA Fly-In runs Oct. 9-12...Legendary designer Walter Extra
will be at the controls...A high-flying teddy bear that's part of a
geography project for school kids has been grounded...A name change
could be coming for Atlanta's mega-airport.More...

CUSTOMIZED
FULL-MOTION IFR SIMULATOR INSTRUCTION FOR PISTON SINGLE-ENGINE PILOTS!
Flight Level Aviation offers the only full-motion flight
simulator available for insurance approved recurrent training to piston
single-engine IFR pilots. Flight Level Aviation's instruction is
customized in one-or two-person classes. There are no pre-set syllabus
or audiotapes. Your individual needs are met with training in the
simulator, ground school and in flight. SPECIAL AVWEB OFFER: Mention
this AVflash to save $25 when two pilots sign up for simulator training
as a pair. Complete details at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/flav

NEW
ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEBCOLUMNSThe Pilot's
Lounge #66: What Is That Thing Inside The Cowling?When you
learned how to preflight an aircraft, you probably learned to check
certain items for wear or breakage, but were you ever shown examples of
what things looked like when they were worn too much? Or do you just
guess? AVweb's Rick Durden found a class for pilots to learn enough so
they don't have to guess.

REVIEWSSurvival Tech
Aviation Survival KitLike a seatbelt or an ELT, you hope you
never need to use a survival kit, but in an emergency you'll be glad
you've got one. Doug Ritter reviews a recent entrant to the survival kit
market. More...

SHORT
FINAL...
I was taking my brother for his first flight in a GA airplane. He was
somewhat nervous and a little overwhelmed by what we go through to
launch a flight. I picked up the local ATIS on my handheld before engine
start and, after we got in the plane and were ready to call for taxi
clearance, I briefed him on the kind of radio transmissions he would
hear as we taxied out and took off. That education behind us, I called
for taxi clearance:

Me: Skylane 12345, West hangers, with MIKE,
taxi.

Before I could get a word in edge-wise, my brother, Mike, (with
awe in his voice...) said, You have to even tell them who is with
you?

It took several minutes for me to regain composure and get
on with the flight. More...

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WORRYINGWHERE YOUR FRIENDS ARE! Friends flying in today? A
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Let's all be careful out there, okay?

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